Y,  OCT  13  1351 

izTc) 

TEGUCIGALPA 

A VISIT  TO  THE  ' 
HONDURANEAN-  ) h 

CAPITADBYAr^  ^1, 

i ; A.l  ■ 

Edith  Boulton  ^et{c\  1 


Board  of  Foreign  Missions^ 
Evangelical  Synod  of  N.  A., 


2951  Tilden  St.,  Washington,  D.  C. 


MOUNTAINS  OF  SILVER 

Edith  Moulton  Melick 

The  big  touring  car  swung  round  the  last  sharp  turn 
that  brought  it  to  the  top  of  the  mountain.  The  dark  skinned 
driver  leaned  forward  to  shift  gears^  took  one  hasty  glance 
back  at  his  passenger^  adjusted  his  broad  brimmed  felt  hat, 
and  pressed  the  accelerater.  We  shot  forward.  Now  he  re- 
leased the  pressure  to  round  a curve,  then  at  lightning  speed 
covered  a down  grade ; another  curve,  a wall  of  solid  stone  on 
one  side,  a sudden  drop  of  hundreds  of  feet  on  the  other  side, 
— his  skilled  hands  gripped  the  wheel,  and  the  danger  spot 
was  passed.  He  looked  back  again,  whether  it  was  to  sight 
tlie  two  cars  we  had  outstripped  on  the  other  side  of  the  moun- 
tain, or  to  see  if  the  only  woman  ])assenger  would  signal 
him  to  drive  more  slowly,  I could  not  tell;  but  seeing  neither, 
he  set  the  powerful  engine  at  top  speed  again.  We  rounded 
the  last  hill.  Below  lay  Tegucigalpa  and  Comayagtiela,  three 
thousand  feet  aboye  sea  level,  and  shut  in  on  three  sides  by 
lour  mountains : El  Picacho,  El  Berinche,  Juanalainez,  and 
Las  Crucitas — the  highest  of  which  rises  to  an  elevation  of 
six  thousand  feet. 

The  late  afternoon  sun  was  shedding  its  slanting  rays 
on  the  low,  white-washed,  red-tiled  buildings  of  these  old 
weather  beaten  cities. 

The  road  led  into  Comayaguela,  the  most  ancient  of  the 
two  cities.  She  boasts  of  the  oldest  cathedral,  the  widest, 
smoothest,  and  most  level  streets,  the  direct  roads  that  lead 


2 — 


both  north  and  souths  the  hexagonal  Central  American  mon- 
ument^ the  national  co-educational  normal  school,  and  the 
oldest  believer  in  the  Protestant  faith. 

The  automobile  stopped  in  front  of  a high  board  fence, 
above  which  we  could  see  the  gable  of  a building.  Extend- 


Ready  to  Start  for  Tegucigalpa 

ing  over  the -sidewalk  was  a sign,  ^^Capilla  Evangelica.^^  Yea, 
this  was  the  place,  the  chapel  of  the  Central  American  Mis- 
sion. At  the  left  of  the  fence  we  found  a gate.  In  answer 
to  our  knock,  We  heard  a bolt  slip  back,  and  we  were  met  with 
a cordial  welcome  by  our  host,  the  Eev.  Herbert  Peasley. 
Here  we  made  our  headquarters  for  ten  days,  while  visiting 
the  most  interesting  cities  of  Honduras. 


— 3 — 


Twin  cities  they  are,  and  so  closely  related  that  their 
joint  population  of  thirty-nine  thousand  is  given  as  that  of 
Tegucigalpa,  the  capital  of  the  country.  They  are  separated 
by  the  young  waters  of  the  Choluteea  Eiver  which  rush  down 
between  two  mountains  and  cut  a winding  path  that  skirts 
the  capital,  and  flow  south  until  they  And  an  outlet  in  the 
Bay  of  Fonseca  on  the  Paciflc  Ocean,  eighty  miles  away. 

Tegucigalpa  and  Comayagiiela  have  been  visited  many 
times,  usually  out  of  curiosity  and  with  the  love  of  adventure. 
Col.  Lindbergh  has  just  made  his  trip  of  good  will  and  was 
so  pleased  with  that  ^^charming  country he  wished  he  could 
^^stay  longer. My  companion,  the  evangelist  of  the  Mission 
of  the  Evangelical  Synod  of  North  America,  located  at  San 
Pedro  Sula,  and  I were  visiting  Honduras’  capital  for  reasons 
of  friendliness  and  good  will,  coupled  with  a deep  concern 
for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  people.  We  went  there 
primarily  to  acquaint  ourselves  with  her  missions. 

Many  are  the  points  of  interest.  Coma3"aguela  may 
have  some  advantages  over  Tegucigalpa,  but  it  is  the  desire 
of  every  traveler  to  see  the  capital. 

Connecting  the  two  cities  is  an  old  stone  bridge  that 
spans  the  Choluteea  Eiver.  Her  walls  are  built  up  on  either 
side,  which  have  been  a place  of  concealment  for  citizens  while 
trying  to  obtain  water  during  revolutions  when  the  water 
supply  was  cut  off.  Many  a one  has  been  shot  down  by  the 
enemy  who  encamped  in  the  surrounding  hills.  Just  to  the 
left  in  Tegucigalpa,  on  the  river  bank  is  the  president’s  pal- 


— 4 ^ 


ace.  It  is  a beautiful  stone  structure^  built  on  the  style  of 
a fort,  at  a cost  of  one  million  dollars. 

From  the  top  of  the  dome  that  marks  the  entrance  floats 
the  Honduranean  flag,  which  is  lowered  at  sundown  to  the 
music  of  their  patriot  song,  ^Tu  Bandera,^^  played  by  the 
national  band.  From  the  tiny  windows  in  this  dome,  and 
those  in  the  square  tower  at  the  extreme  end  of  the  palace, 
watchers  keep  their  vigil  when  necessary.  The  broad  flat 
roof  affords  an  excellent  opportunity  for  visitors  to  view  the 
cities  and  surrounding  hills.  Within,  President  Miguel  Paz 
Barahona  lives  alone.  He  demonstrates  his  economic  policy 
by  occupying  a suite  of  three  rooms.  The  love  for  his  people 
is  shown  by  his  generosity  in  opening  the  palace  to  twenty 


The  Presidential  Palace  from  the  Rear 


— 5 — 


students  who  attend  the  State  ^Tornial  School  in  Comaya- 
gtiela. 

The  streets  of  Tegucigalpa  are  extremely  narrow^,  cob- 
bled and  hilly.  An  attempt  has  been  made  to  build  the  side- 
walks levels  consequently^  the  pedestrian  suddenly  finds  him- 
self confronted  by  a flight  of  stairs,  or  he  must  retrace  his 
steps  if  he  prefers  not  to  jump. 

The  beauty  spots  of  the  city  are  her  three  parks.  One  is 
centrally  located,  marked  by  a large  cathedral  that  faces  it, 
and  the  statue  of  Francisco  Morazan.  The  latter  has  been 
called  the  ‘^AVashington  of  Central  America.^^  His  sole 

purpose  in  life  and  warfare 
was  to  miantain  the  federal 
government  of  his  beloved 
Central  America.  Morazan 
is  represented  in  uniform, 
mounted  on  his  charger. 
His  slogan  is  inscribed  on  a 
bronze  plate — ^^The  only 
ideal  worth  dying  for  is  the 
Union  of  Central  America.’^ 
This  piece  of  statuary  is  the 
pride  of  Honduras,  and 
especially  of  Tegucigalpa, 
his  birth-place. 

We  found  another  plaza 
The  Morazan  Monument  near  the  outskirts  of  the 


— 6 — 


city,  and  another  on  a hilltop.  It  was  a hard  climb  up  the 
hilly  street,  and  we  shortened  the  distance  by  ascending  a 
long  llight  of  stairs  that  brought  us  into  the  park  or  plaza. 
The  panorama  that  lay  before  us  was  well  worth  the  climb. 
We  looked  down  on  the  red  tiled  roofs  below  us.  The  street 
looked  like  paths  between  rows  of  one  story  white 
buildings.  The  two  story  houses  were  much  in  evi- 
dence because  of  their  scarcity^  their  patios  stood  out 
resplendent  wdth  variegated  foliage  and  bright  flowers, 
with  here  and  there  one  lone  palm  lifting  her  stately  head. 
In  the  midst  was  the  cathedral  with  the  twin  towers.  We  re- 
alized now  its  immensity,  occupying  a whole  square.  A dome 
was  on  the  rear  end,  and  the  towers  faced  the  ^Tlaza  Cen- 
tral.^^  We  knew  that  within  were  altars  of  inlaid  gold,  mar- 
velous pieces  of  statuary,  and  frescoes,  and  the  burial  places 
of  priests  and  bishops,  which  were  marked  by  slabs  in  the 
aisles. 

Shifting  our  gaze  to  the  right,  we  could  pick  out  the  tele- 
phone building  by  its  square  tower  surmounted  by  a dome ; 
the  cemetery  with  two  poplars,  tall  and  straight,  marking  the 
entrance;  the  winding  Choluteca,  as  it  crept  around  making 
a complete  right  angle  turn  and  led  our  vision  back  to  the 
presidential  palace  and  the  old  arched  bridge. 

Beyond,  lay  Camaygiiela,  appearing  symmetrical  in  the 
distance.  We  could  trace  the  roads  that  led  out  to  the  north 
and  south,  hiding  themselves  quickly  among  the  mountains. 
These  lay  heaped  in  a broken  irregular  network  before  us  as 


— 7 — 


far  as  eye  could  reach,  out  where  the  clouds  hung  low,  cover- 
ing the  highest  points.  The  Brown  Indian  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Spanish  slavedrivers  had  built  the  cities,  but  only 
God  could  make  such  a diversified  extent  of  country. 


The  Wooden  Structure  is  The  ^^Capilla  Evangelica” 

Mountains,  pine  clad,  or  rugged,  exposing  bare  rock  glisten- 
ing in  the  sunlight,  concealing  precious  metals  which  gave 
Tegucigalpa  her  Indian  name, — meaning  ^^mountains  of  sil- 
ver.^^  Scattered  over  this  piece  of  God^s  handiwork  were 
small  cultivated  patches,  with  a speck  denoting  the  thatched 
covered  hut.  How  we  wished  we  might  explore  these  evi- 
dences of  civilization  in  the  distance,  but  our  business  here 
was  to  visit  missions. 


— 8 — 


We  returned  to  our  headquarters^,  the  Central  American 
Mission^  which  was  founded  in  1911  in  answer  to  prayer  by  a 
handful  of  native  believers. 

Martin  Ordoues,  a blind  rope  maker^  found  the  Lord 
through  a Bible  colporteur  in  1897.  Nina  Lencia  became  a 
believer  several  years  later  through  the  reading  of  tracts  that 
Martin  gave  away.  Then  a few  more  believers  came^  and 
Martin  was  their  instructor  until  the  Lord  called  him  home. 
In  1909  the  little  group  began  prayer  meetings  in  Nina  Len- 
cia^s  humble  home  and  prayed  for  a resident  missionary. 
After  two  years  their  prayer  was  answered  by  the  Central 
American  Mission's  seeing  the  need  there  and  to  the  south, 
covering  a section  occupied  by  nine  priests. 

The  second  day  of  our  visit  we  called  on  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Cammack  of  the  Friend^s  Mission  in  Tegucigalpa.  Into  that 
tiny  street  we  went,  and  knocked  at  a door  over  which  was 
a sign,  ^^Capilla  Evangelica.^^  What  a pleasant  surprise  as 
we  entered — such  a comfortable  living-room ! what  a refresh- 
ing court  with  running  water  gushing  from  its  vine-clad  pil- 
lar ! Hammock,  swing,  easy  chairs,  everything  to  help  make 
life  comfortable,  and  open  for  the  free  use  of  native  believers ; 
here  they  came  for  conference  and  encouragement,  and  always 
found  an  understanding  welcome.  We,  too,  felt  that  perfect 
bond  of  sympathy  when  soul  harmonizes  with  soul. 

The  Friends^  Mission  has  been  established  since  1914, 
under  the  Missionary  Board  of  the  California  Yearly  Meeting 
of  Friends,  with  headquarters  in  Whittier,  California.  0th- 


— 9 — 


ers  have  been  added  to  their  staff  including  Miss  Cammack, 
the  missionary's  daughter. 

The  first  Sunday  spent  in  the  capital  was  considered  a 
fitting  time  for  a street  meeting.  We  started  about  ten  o^clock 
in  the  mornings  representatives  of  three  missions  whose  bus- 
iness it  was  to  win  souls  for  the  Lord.  We  walked  along  the 
sun  blanched  streets^  now  on^  now  off  the  sidewalk  because 
of  its  varying  width.  Each  missionary  carried  tracts  and  a 
song  book^  and  two  native  boys  carried  the  folding  organ. 
We  took  our  stand  in  the  most  conspicuous  spot  in  the  market 
place,  where  several  streets  cross  each  other  forming  a square. 
After  a song  service,  our  evangelist,  Mr.  Auler,  talked  to  the 
crowd  from  the  curb  about  the  saving  love  of  Jesus  Christ. 


Street  Meeting  in  the  Market  Place 


— 10  — 


In  spite  of  our  being  told  we  might  be  tomatoed^  or  egged, 
if  not  stoned,  the  audience  was  most  respectful.  Everybody 
comes  to  market  on  Sunday, — men  with  their  white  suits  and 
big  felt  hats;  women  in  calico  dresses  and  bright  colored 
aprons;  little  girls,  barefoot  and  dirty,  stopped  in  the  crowd 
and  balanced  their  huge  baskets  on  their  heads;  boys,  with 
their  hands  thrust  deep  into  their  pockets,  shifting  from  one 
foot  to  the  other  stayed  to  listen.  The  arcade  above  and  the 
windows  of  the  two  story  buildings  held  listeners.  Thither 
they  had  come  to  buy  and  to  sell,  some  had  walked  all  night 
to  be  there,  but  for  the  moment  it  seemed  forgotten  as  their 
attention  was  held  by  the  messages  delivered  by  missionaries 
and  native  believers,  ^Vithout  money  and  without  price.^^ 

Day  after  day  were  spent  in  seeking  opportunities  to 
come  in  contact  with  the  native.  We  found  fine  young  people 
in  the  State  Normal  School;  a young  man  who  had  been  in 
Mr^  Auler^s  English  class  was  behind  the  counter  in  a shop ; 
a native  priest  who  seemed  to  have  the  good  of  his  country- 
men  at  heart,  entertained  us  in  his  barren  home.  We  found 
that  old  saint,  Nina  Lencia,  lying  on  her  sick  bed  in  her  tiny 
house.  An  expression  of  her  faith  was  in  a motto  which  was 
tacked  on  her  wall  over  the  table : 

^Tor  the  which  cause  I also  suffer  these  things,  neverthe- 
less I am  not  ashamed ; for  I know  whom  I have  believed,  and 
am  persuaded  that  he  is  able  to  keep  that  which  I have  com- 
mitted unto  him  against  that  day.^^  2 Timothy  1 : 12. 

One  day  when  we  were  sitting  by  her  bedside,  her  phy- 


— 11 


sician  paid  her  a professional  call.  The  flippant  way  that  he 
answered  our  evangelist^  showed  that  he  was  opposed  to  Chris- 
tianity. After  he  had  gone  his  patient  made  a statement  that 
I cannot  forget, — ^Tt  is  better  to  talk  to  the  Lord  about  him, 
than  to  talk  to  him  about  the  Lord.^^ 


Street  Scene  in  Tegucigalpa 


Ten  happy  days  passed  by.  Then  the  day  came  to  begin 
the  homeward  journey  and  we  started  before  daybreak.  A 
few  minutes  before  four  o^clock  the  auto  horn  tooted  outside 
the  high  board  fence.  We  were  ready.  We  glided  in  and 
out  of  the  rough  streets,  and  other  passengers  were  called  for 
on  the  way  out;  it  was  too  dark  to  see  their  faces, — six  in 
all.  Leaving  the  twin  cities  slumbering  under  a blanket  of 


12  — 


fog,  we  began  the  ascent,  up  and  up  we  went.  On  the  way 
we  met  Indians  and  half-breeds — the  men  with  burdens 
strapped  to  their  backs,  and  the  women  carried  heavily  loaded 
baskets  which  they  balanced  on  their  heads.  A frightened 
mule,  blinded  by  our  headlights,  dodged  to  one  side  in  the 
darkness.  Oxen  huddled  together,  as  they  drew  themselves 
back  against  the  heavy  cart  which  was  loaded  with  iron  for 
bridge  building.  All  were  going  to  the  capital.  The  men 
and  women  must  reach  the  market  place  with  their  wares  at 
an  early  hour,  where  they 
would  ^spend  the  entire  day. 

As  we  climbed,  the  fog 
dropped  into  the  valleys  and 
hollows.  The  round  sum- 
mits of  the  mountains  stood 
out  more  clearly.  There  was 
no  sound  except  the  twitter 
of  the  birds  and  the  whir  of 
our  automobile.  Looking 
out  over  that  misty  land- 

scape  in  the  semi-darkness,  Qne  of  the  First  Converts 
I thought  earth  must  have 

looked  like  that  when  it  came  fresh  from  the  hand  of  God. 

To  the  west  the  moon  showed  dimly  through  the  haze 
as  it  sank  in  the  horizon.  To  the  east  the  sky  took  on  a 
hue  deepening  into  purple  and  tinged  with  gold,  and  the  sun 
came  up  like  a ball  of  fire. 


— 13  — 


When  we  reached  the  summit  of  one  of  the  dome  shaped 
mountains,  we  began  to  descend;  then  up,  then  down  again 
until  we  reached  the  Comayagua  Plain.  It  stretched  out 
before  us  thirty  miles  long,  and  more  than  two  thousand 
feet  above  sea  level.  We  could  see  the  yellow  road  for  miles 
ahead  of  us.  The  plain  of  Comayagua,  known  for  its  rich- 
ness of  tropical  growth  during  the  wet  season,  looked  like 
a desert  now,  in  the  midst  of  the  dry  season.  The  city,  Coma- 
yagua, lay  at  the  other  end  of  the  road.  Once  it  was  Hon- 
duras^ capital,  but  now  it  is  a dingy,  struggling,  uncared 
for  little  village,  dwindling  in  size,  and  fast  losing  its  jmpor- 
tance  except  for  its  history. 

Prom  the  plain  we  began  an  ascent  again,  this  time  we 
reached  an  elevation  of  more  than  forty-seven  hundred  feet. 
Yes,  Honduras  is  truly  a tumbling  network  of  mountains. 
Prom  a high  spot  we  could  look  over  the  side  of  the  car 
and  see  three  roads  over  which  we  had  passed,  then  the  down 
grade  again. 

We  finally  reached  Lake  Yojoa  three-thirty  in  the  after- 
noon. The  gasoline  launch  which  would  take  us  to  the  other 
end  of  the  lake  had  not  come  in.  To  get  away  from  the 
sordidness  of  El  Jarral,  the  landing  place,  we  walked  up  the 
road  and  seated  ourselves  where  we  could  look  over  Yojoa^s 
blue  waters,  two  thousand  feet  in  altitude.  While  we  were 
seated  thus,  a little  Indian  boy  came  from  somewhere  out  of 
the  thicket.  He  responded  to  Mr.  Auler^s  ^^Buenas  Dias/^ 
and  joined  us  on  the  grass.  Priendly,  ready  to  listen,  and 


--  14  -- 


apparently  glad  to  have  someone  to  talk  to,  he  told  us  in 
answer  to  questions,  that  he  had  heard  of  God,  knew  some- 
thing of  the  saints  and  the  virgin,  but  of  Jesus  he  had  never 
heard.  He  heard  that  afternoon.  Then  the  boat  came  in. 


Lake  Yojoa;  2,000  feet  above  Sea-level 

By  5 :40  P.  M.  we  arrived  at  the  north  end  of  the  lake, 
where  an  automobile  was  waiting  to  take  the  passengers  to 
Potrerillos,  the  beginning  of  the  National  Eailroad  going 
north.  This  was  a twenty-seven  mile  trip  and  consumed 
three  hours  of  time,  for  Honduras  has  much  to  be  desired  in 
her  roads.  The  night  was  spent  at  the  terminal  hotel.  At 
5 :20  the  next  morning  we  boarded  a freight  train,  and  en- 
joyed a ride  of  two  hours  and  forty  minutes,  covering  a dis- 


15  — 


tance  of  twenty-one  miles^  which  brought  us  to  San  Pedro 
Sula. 

We  were  glad  to  see  the  big  mission  house  again,  to  hear 
the  ^Velcome  home^^  by  the  missionaries,  and  to  eat  an  espe- 
cially prepared  breakfast,  even  if  we  had  dropped  to  two 
hundred  and  fifty-five  feet  above  sea  level:  down  where  the 
bananas  and  the  pineapples  grow;  down  where  the  sugar 
cane  waves  her  bright  green  blade,  and  the  poinsettia  lifts 
her  crimson  head;  down  where  the  brown  boy  early  loses  his 
innocence,  and  the  brown  girl  accepts  her  dishonorable  lot 
as  inevitable.  The  boy  so  soon  grows  into  a fiend  or  a 
drudge,  and  the  girl  becomes  the  drudge  of  that  drudge  or 
fiend. 

If  Christ  were  to  walk  the  streets  of  San  Pedro  Sula 
today,  I am  sure  he  would  gather  the  little  boys  and  girls 
of  the  street  into  his  arms;  and  the  young  men  and  young 
women  would  say,  ^The  saints  I know,  and  the  virgin  I know, 
but  who  are  you?^^ 

0,  Church,  arise  ! Thy  light  has  come ! Bear  that  flam- 
ing torch  to  the  Southland,  and  seek  the  lost  ones  caught  in 
the  thicket! 


H— 3 M— 4-28. 


— 16 


